Can I Hunt on My Land with a Carbon Contract?

Introduction

Receiving payment for managing forest carbon can be an appealing option for landowners; however, it is important to understand how carbon contracts may affect other opportunities to stack benefits, such as recreational leases. Landowners may be able to benefit from both income opportunities, but they should carefully consider how requirements in a carbon contract will affect how they manage their land for recreational purposes.

Recreational leases are "an agreement between a person who controls access to property and a person seeking the right to participate in a recreational activity on that property for a certain time and fee" (Jacobson, 2005). This can include, but are not limited to, rights to hike, fish, or camp on the property. This article will primarily focus on the role of hunting leases in a carbon contract, but landowners should feel encouraged to discuss other recreational leases with carbon project developers before signing a lease.

What is a hunting lease?

For many landowners, hunting leases are one way to make money from their property. Hunting leases are a specific type of recreational lease that grants permission to select members of the public to use their land for hunting activities during a designated time period in exchange for a fee (Miller & Jones, 2023). The most common kinds of hunting leases include: fee hunting leases, lease agreements and day leases. These leases vary by the length of the agreement and the type of fee.

In the hunting lease, landowners may also make commitments regarding how the land will be managed for habitat, for example. These expectations can include managing invasive species, maintaining feeds and blinds and clearing trails (Kaiser, 2024). The average price for a hunting lease in Pennsylvania ranges from $10-30 per acre, but it can vary by the species available on the property.

Can I lease my land for hunting while under a carbon contract?

In general, hunting leases are permissible under a carbon contract, as long as the management requirements in the hunting lease do not violate the management requirements in a carbon contract. Every carbon contract is different, so it is important to explore your options ahead of time. Some contracts require certain types of management and some may prohibit certain types of management or activities. For example, some contracts will not allow landowners to create a clearing to be a feed plot for game, but in other cases, landowners may be able to choose not to enroll all portions of the property, so they can keep certain areas clear. The specifics of each carbon contract will vary by project developer, so it is important to discuss these topics in detail with them and a consulting forester before signing.

Compatibility of Management Practices for Carbon and Wildlife Compatibility

Improved forest management (IFM) projects are the most common type of carbon project in the US. These projects often require management practices such as delayed harvest, selective thinning to incentivize new growth, and minimizing soil disturbances. Other practices in IFM projects are aimed at improving overall forest health, such as controlling invasive species, managing fire risk, and controlling species populations, which naturally enhances carbon stocks.

Afforestation and reforestation projects are less common than IFM projects and focus on planting new trees in areas that were previously unforested, or in areas where trees would not naturally regenerate on their own.

Depending on the age of your forest today and how long the carbon contract is, your forest may go through multiple stages of successional growth. For example, if you have a young forest enrolled in a 40-year contract, you may end up with a mature forest stand structure at the end of the contract. If you have a mature forest enrolled in a 10-year contract, there will likely be a minimal change in forest structure at the end of the shorter contract period. The types of management required during the contract period can also affect the stand structure and habitat provided.

Landowners should consider which contract is better suited to a specific game species based on the forest stage their land is in now and its future, and the management activities that are required in the contract. Table 2 describes the forest successional stage and plant characteristics preferred by different types of wildlife. Bears, deer, and squirrels are species that prefer young to mature forest stands, so maintaining mature stands under a carbon contract may be acceptable. Pheasants or turkeys like open spaces, but creating or maintaining open spaces may be difficult if the carbon contract limits harvesting. If in doubt, consult a professional forester and the carbon program representative. Many programs will work with landowners to help them maintain current and future benefits while participating in a carbon offset project.

*Source - NC State University "Wildlife and Forest Stewardship"

(Moorman, Megalos and Douglass, 2019)- This table has been slightly adapted by Sarah Widderich)

Benefits of Hunting Leases

Along with providing an alternative income stream for landowners, hunting leases can provide other benefits to your forest management goals. For instance, in some regions of the US, including the northeast, managing deer populations through hunting can improve forest health. Overabundance of deer can lead to a reduction of "tree seedling numbers, seed availability, species composition, and seedling height growth" through overbrowsing (Jackson and Finley, 2021). Managing deer populations to sustainable levels is especially important in the early successional periods of a forest. Another benefit that hunting leases may provide is additional labor towards forest management goals or activities required within your carbon contract. This is when hunting rights are traded in exchange for manpower, as opposed to receiving payment. Examples of management activities include treating invasive species or maintaining trail spaces, which can help to achieve management requirements for the carbon contract. Landowners and the hunter should still sign a contract with the details of the hunting agreement, even if exchanging manpower instead of payment for the lease. Landowners may also receive in-kind investments and services on their land, as hunters gain a sense of ownership. For example, "if the landowner allows, hunters may invest in fences, roads, culverts, posting, and patrolling" (Jacobson, 2005).

Conclusion

In summary, hunting game on your property, as well as leasing your land for hunting, is generally allowed under a carbon contract. What a landowner needs to understand is how a carbon contract may influence forest management and wildlife habitat now and in the future. Allowing hunting on your land while under a carbon contract is an excellent way for landowners to make extra revenue from their land to support forest stewardship. It is important that landowners consider their land's priorities before signing a carbon contract and talk to a consulting forester to get more specific insights into what their land is eligible for.

Sources:

Admin. (2025, November 30). Pennsylvania hunting lease prices 2025: Complete PA Guide to rates, Counties & Laws - Huntlease Blog. HuntLease.

How it works: Family forest carbon program. How It Works | Family Forest Carbon Program. (n.d.).

Jackson, D. R., & Finley, J. (2021, December 15). Regenerating hardwood forests: Managing competing plants, deer, and light. Penn State Extension.

Jacobson, M. (2005, February 8). Forest Finance 6: Leasing your land for hunting: Income and more. Penn State Extension.

Jones, Darly. (n.d.). Establishing a hunting lease on your land: Legal considerations for wildlife-related recreation. | Mississippi State University Extension Service.

Jones, D. (n.d.). Hunting leases: Considerations and alternatives for Landowners. Hunting Leases: Considerations and Alternatives for Landowners | Mississippi State University Extension Service.

Kaiser, C. (2025, May 12). What should I expect when leasing property for hunting? LandApp.

LandYield. (2025, October 23). Carbon revenue eligibility, Participation, & Support FAQ.

Moorman, C., Megalos, M., & Douglass, K. (2024). Wildlife and forest stewardship: NC state extension publications. Wildlife and Forest Stewardship | NC State Extension Publications.